Former GOD FORBID guitarist/vocalist Doc Coyle was interviewed on the latest installment of Canadian rocker Danko Jones‘ official podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Coyle announced his departure from GOD FORBID on August 16, explaining in a statement: “I don’t want to leave the band, but there are elements of disorganization and unprofessionalism within the group that have made it impossible to be an effectively active band. I don’t feel like I’m being treated in a way that meets my standards, so I have to remove myself from the equation.”

He added: “Unfortunately, touring with the band last year proved to be unsustainable from a financial survival standpoint. I was homeless, in debt and needed to figure something out, because this lifestyle I was living was not working. The last few years are the first time in my life I’ve really thought about what I wanted to do outside of GOD FORBID.”

GOD FORBID‘s latest album, “Equilibrium”, sold 3,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 156 on The Billboard 200 chart. The effort landed at No. 7 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

“Equilibrium” was released on March 27, 2012 via Victory Records. The bulk of the CD was recorded by Mark Lewis (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM), with Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, ALL THAT REMAINS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER) stepping in during the the vocal-tracking stage. The effort was mixed by acclaimed Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who has previously worked with such acts as KATATONIA, OPETH, PARADISE LOST and AMON AMARTH.

Top comedian, 2012 Spirit Of Hammer Golden God winner and general metal-loving legend Bill Bailey was kind enough to let us into his personal studio to have a big ol’ chinwag about his love of heavy music, why metal and punk aren’t as different as people make out and dicking about with Mastodon, all for our massive new issue, out now.

Here’s a preview of what he had to say…

What metal bands are you listening to at the moment?

“I really love the latest Deftones album, I love Opeth and The Mars Volta – where you have longer album tracks and it’s almost a bit proggy. That’s why Mastodon appeal to me, because they have this immense sound and passion, but there’s this intricate musicality to them.”

Mastodon are a good example of a band that seems to get praise from more ‘mainstream’ critics. Does heavy metal really need that kind of approval, though?

“Do you know what? No. I don’t think it does. It would seem like metal’s been assimilated by The Borg. Metal’s never been assimilated, and that’s part of its allure. It’s managed to maintain this sort of ‘otherness’, this distance from mainstream music, and I think that’s a good, healthy thing. It shows that for music to be popular and connect with people, it doesn’t have to be filtered into the mainstream. When I played Sonisphere, there were 50,000 people there to see metal.”

Sonisphere was a bold booking. What do you remember from that day?

“Well, it was very daunting. When I was approached to do it, it was a bit of a challenge, like someone laying down a gauntlet. I had to think about how I was going to approach it, because it was going to be a field, outdoors, in England, and most likely going to rain. People aren’t going to be sitting down, so it’s got to be an intense gig. So, I thought I’d do some metal versions of my own songs. I got together a band very quickly, and we went out and gave it both barrels. I remember looking out and seeing this field of arms! Metalheads, people in Slipknot masks, singing, arms waving! I thought, ‘This is brilliant! It was a life-changing moment and I have no fear of anything now.”

Bill Bailey’s Qualmpeddler tour continues next month. Read more from our interview with Bill in our new issue!

On July 27, Sami Jarroush of the Rock It Out! Blog and Consequence Of Sound conducted an interview with guitarist Olavi Mikkonen of Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH at the Tinley Park, Illinois stop of this summer’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. You can now watch the chat below.

AMON AMARTH‘s ninth studio album, “Deceiver Of The Gods”, sold around 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25 via Metal Blade Records.

In Germany, “Deceiver Of The Gods” entered the Top 100 chart at No. 3, the official Media Market/Saturn chart at #3 and the German Media Control Weekend Trend chart at No. 2.

“Deceiver Of The Gods” came in at No. 9 on Canada’s Top 200 chart, No. 2 on the Hard Music chart and No. 21 on the Digital Music chart. Additionally, the record came in at No. 2 on the iTunes Metal chart, No. 2 on the iTunes Rock chart and No. 7 on the iTunes Top 200.

In the U.K., the record entered the official album chart at No. 67, the Rock/Metal chart at No. 4 and the Independent chart at No. 14, marking the highest U.K. chart placements for the band yet.

Elsewhere, “Deceiver Of The Gods” came in at No. 9 on the Top 100 album chart in Switzerland, No. 7 on the Austrian Top 100, No. 9 in Sweden, No. 27 in Denmark, No. 51 in France, No. 34 in Czech Republic and No. 51 in Hungary.

Recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, and produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (OPETH, MEGADETH, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), “Deceiver Of The Gods” delivers ten fiery battle hymns made of buzzsaw riffs and epic harmonies all driven by vocalist Johan Hegg‘s commanding Viking roar and absorbing accounts of Norse crusades and treachery.

“Deceiver Of The Gods” comes adorned with another outstanding Tom Thiel-created cover portraying a mythical battle between the Norse Gods Loki and Thor. As an added bonus, Messiah Marcolin (CANDLEMASS) makes an appearance as guest vocalist on eighth track, “Hel”.

AMON AMARTH opened the main stage of this year’s edition of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which kicked off on June 29 in San Bernardino.

Bloodbath released their last studio album, The Fathomless Misery, in 2008, and last live effort, Bloodbath Over Bloodstock, 2011. Then they lost vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth) in April of 2012 and disappeared. In a recent interview, the band reveal they have a new guy and an entire album ready to go! So in an interview with …

Dynamic, progressive dark-rock visionaries VULTURE INDUSTRIES have announced a new live theater project with the Happy Gorilla Dance Company. The project, titled “Turning Golem” will combine a unique take on theatrical performances, with live music from VULTURE INDUSTRIES‘ forthcoming record, “The Tower”. “Turning Golem” will be staged on three separate dates: August 17 at the Dark Bombastic Evening in Transylvania, Romania; October 25 at the Garage in Bergen, Norway; and on October 26 at Phantoms of Pilsen Festival in the Czech Republic. VULTURE INDUSTRIES will debut five tracks from “The Tower” during the show.

Regarding the performance, VULTURE INDUSTRIES frontman Bjornar Nilsen said: “This project is a great opportunity for us to cultivate our theatrical side, and to cross breed the howling hounds of hell with the delirious dingoes of drama. Those familiar with the energy and singularity of a VULTURE INDUSTRIES live show and who wonder how much further we can take it, are about to find out.”

“Turning Golem” is a performance based on the premise of our need for meaning in life. A short movie about “Turning Golem” is also in the works.

“The Tower” is slated for release on September 27 (October 1 in North America) via Season Of Mist. The CD was recorded at the Conclave & Earshot Studios in Bergen, mixed by Herbrand Larsen (ENSLAVED) and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios (OPETH, KATATONIA, DEVIN TOWNSEND, IHSAHN, ENSLAVED).

“The Tower” track listing:

01. The Tower
02. Divine – Appalling
03. The Hound
04. Blood On The Trail
05. The Dead Won’t Mind
06. A Knife Between Us
07. The Pulse of Bliss
08. Sleepwalkers
09. Lost Among Liars

Through their charismatic musicianship, VULTURE INDUSTRIES quickly earned the reputation of a formidable live act, characterized by the fusion of technical prowess with eccentric, manic performances by frontman Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen.

Opeth has checked in with the following announcement about performing on the Melloboat and writing new material for an upcoming album: “Opeth will return onboard the Melloboat, organized by Mellotronen records in September. Due to a glitch in the machinery this hasn’t been posted til now which have led to some confusion amongst Opeth fans wanting to attend

Greek progressive metal band Until Rain announced that the band will release its sophomore full length LP “Anthem to Creation” on August 23, 2013 via Escape Music. “Anthem to Creation’ was mixed and mastered at Fascination street studios by Jens Bogren (Symphony X/Opeth/Paradise Lost).

Well now, this was unexpected. Eric has provided us with endless hours of entertainment thanks to his brilliant covers of movie, TV show and even video game themes, proving that there really is nothing that can’t be metalled the fuck up.

On June 1, Floris van Bommel conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH at the Fortarock XL festival at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.